1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to an initiating system for caseless ammunition, including a weapon breech block and a powder body chamber adjoining the weapon breech block at the front end thereof. A firing pin is axially displaceably arranged in a through hole formed in the weapon breech block and wherein a powder body which can be initiated by the firing pin and having a priming means are arranged in the powder body chamber.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
German Patent Publication DE 21 05 295 C1 discloses a powder body for caseless ammunition, in particular for automatic weapons, comprising at least two pressings of which one serves as a support for the priming means. That known ammunition is initiated by means of an impact-sensitive fuse composition. That known powder body is characterized by a cup-shaped powder body pressing, on the cup bottom wall of which the priming means is provided at the cavity side. The cup-shaped powder body pressing covers an anvil-like propellant charge pressing which serves as a support for the priming means. The cup-shaped powder body pressing and the anvil-like propellant charge pressing are connected together preferably by an adhesive join. The firing pin described in that publication for initiating the described powder body is arranged in a through hole of a breech with guide portion. For piercing, that is to say initiating, the powder body, that is to say the caseless ammunition, the firing pin must perform two functions:
1. The tip of the firing pin must penetrate into the powder body and initiate the priming means by impact or friction; and
2. The firing pin must seal off the through hole in which it is axially displaceable, after firing, in relation to the high gas pressure of the hot powder gases. For that purpose above-mentioned DE 21 05 295 C1 diagrammatically shows a ring seal or a precise fit between the firing pin and the wall of the through hole. It has been found however that such a precise fit on its own is not adequate in the long term.